Dallas Stars Daily Links: Ten Fantasy NHL Rookies To Watch (Including Heiskanen)
TL;DR don’t sleep on a young Lion. Plus, Shoresy’s birthday, Da Beauty League’s summer stream, Marc Bergevin as the GM of your nightmares, and more.
Happy Friday, DBD! It’s oh so quiet on the Dallas Stars front, but it’s all the better for talking about the NHL rookies who are expected to battle for time on ice and fantasy cred during the 2018-2019 NHL season.
Ultra-prospect Miro Heiskanen has not yet made the Stars’ opening-night roster, but he’s already shaping up as a must-select, writes Rob Reese of NHL.com’s fantasy staff:
The Dallas Stars defenseman could provide much needed secondary scoring to a top-heavy roster. The 19-year-old won Liiga’s best defenseman award last season, the youngest player to do so in history. Dallas has a talented forward group including Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn and an elite defenseman in John Klingberg. With exposure to the aforementioned, Heiskanen is worth stashing on your bench in deeper leagues. He went undrafted in the mock but should be selected if he’s projected to make the team.
Find the entire sleeper list, from Rasmus Dahlin to Kailer Yamamoto. [NHL]
Heiskanen’s fellow Finn Eeli Tolvanen, already playing for the Nashville Predators, also made the list. There’s something epic about the fact that two players who are being hailed as the future of Team Finland seem destined to spend their NHL careers as bitter divisional enemies. Check out this hype video that plays up both the rivalry and the camaraderie.
Stars Stuff
July is a glorious month for Stars birthdays, and July 19 is magic time for Devin Shore. Welcome to 24, Shoresy!
It's the best day of his life, guys! Happy 24th, @devinshore! 🎈🎉 pic.twitter.com/imRPCvN8wz
— Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) July 19, 2018
Tyler Pitlick is having an excellent summer in Da Beauty League.
#DallasStars @Pitty687 is one of the #DBL scoring leaders after 2 weeks at #DaBeautyLeague! 💫 💚 2-6-8 through 2 weeks ⭐️ pic.twitter.com/rRTCkSaFdA
— Da Beauty League (@DaBeautyLeague) July 20, 2018
Former Star and DBL teammate Alex Goligoski joined in on the rinkside dad time, too.
These moments have to be my favorite part of @DaBeautyLeague
— Jessi Pierce (@jessi_pierce) July 18, 2018
Just daddies being daddies — totes adorbs @Pitty687 & @gollygoose33 pic.twitter.com/AD0MAfQtbf
The summer league streams its games, and Stars prospects Riley Tufte and Jake Oettinger are playing this year, too. Sean Shapiro gives it a thumbs-up.
If you are looking for a summer hockey fix, all games from Da Beauty League are streamed starting in about an hour. Includes Stars ties with Tufte and Pitlick. Oettinger also playing in league this summer, but not playing tonight https://t.co/BpYuWEyTb5
— Sean Shapiro (@seanshapiro) July 18, 2018
Around the League(s)
Jeff Veillette tweeted an interesting conversation starter late last week. Who’s on your list?
/r/Hockey is doing a "Top 5 favourite players to watch on Teams you don't follow" ranking right now. Here's mine at the moment (subject to change, I might wake up in the morning with a different #5). What's yours? pic.twitter.com/bjcLEoYehJ
— Jeff Veillette (@JeffVeillette) July 15, 2018
Who Won The Offseason, Part 1,138: Writer and #fancystats cruncher Dom Luszczyszyn has posted his scores at The Athletic.
By the numbers: @domluszczyszyn hands out offseason grades to all 31 teams: https://t.co/fKYM0TEeEJ
— The Athletic NHL (@TheAthleticNHL) July 19, 2018
Also at The Athletic: They’ve gotten better over the summer, but the poor, poor, Ryan Reaves-less St. Louis Blues now wonder if they’ve become pushovers in the process.
ICYMI ... One question remains with Blues' improved roster: Are they tough enough? #stlblues https://t.co/UCTYSpEsyw
— Jeremy Rutherford (@jprutherford) July 18, 2018
You don’t have to be a Gordon Bombay fan to play for the Anaheim Ducks, but for Adam Henrique, it’s a bonus.
A fan of the Mighty Ducks movies, Adam Henrique’s extension with the Ducks is that much more special https://t.co/Gi8f5am0k5
— SI NHL (@SI_NHL) July 20, 2018
So Max Domi has been traded to the Montreal Canadiens and is already trolling the mortal fool out of tightly-wound Toronto Maple Leafs fans. What else can the Habs expect?
"He's a pretty smooth cat. I think he'll be all right."
— NHL Network (@NHLNetwork) July 15, 2018
How will @max_domi fit in with the @CanadiensMTL? #NHLTonight pic.twitter.com/6DW8J4Tmjw
Meanwhile, Habs GM Marc Bergevin sent Alex Galchenyuk the other way – and The Sporting News says he could be the secret sauce in a big Arizona Coyotes turnaround.
✔️ Alex Galchenyuk
— Sporting News NHL (@sn_nhl) July 12, 2018
✔️ Healthy Antti Raanta
✔️ Clayton Keller
The @ArizonaCoyotes have the ingredients necessary to take a huge step forward in 2018-19.@AGretz on why they can be next season's Devils or Avalanche: https://t.co/HtS25DsqSE pic.twitter.com/MxiSraU1Yp
As the Max Pacioretty situation continues to degrade, Brendan Kelly writes about Bergevin – a pretty solid candidate for The Actual Worst GM in the NHL – as a serial disrespecter of his star players, from P.K. Subban to Alexander Radulov. [Montreal Gazette]
Jaromir Jagr, rehabbing the knee he injured last season with the Calgary Flames, says the Czech 1. League is his second choice – but still a good place to be. His 10-game preseason with Rytíři Kladno begins July 31.
Jaromir Jagr hits the ice with Kladno, eyes return this season https://t.co/poFdwOc95t
— NHL on NBC (@NHLonNBCSports) July 19, 2018
More awards for the Olympic-champion U.S. Women’s National Team: They won Best Game honors as well as Sports Humanitarian Team of the Year at the 2018 ESPYs on Thursday night. [The Ice Garden]
Every year on a day where there are no major sporting events, we celebrate, remember and be inspired by them all. What an honor to be named the Sports Humanitarian Team of the Year and to receive an ESPY for best game!! To all young athletes out there: Follow YOUR Dreams! #ESPYs pic.twitter.com/wVaZu3PYBg
— Kendall Coyne Schofield (@KendallCoyne) July 19, 2018
Greetings From Scenic Cedar Park
The Texas Stars are restocking the system. They’ve signed LW and UConn Huskies alternate captain Spencer Naas, who played 12 games with the Cleveland Monsters last season.
The #txstars have signed rookie forward Spencer Haas to an AHL contract for the 2018-19 season.
— Texas Stars (@TexasStars) July 18, 2018
Read: https://t.co/ar3B0UTQTJ pic.twitter.com/ClgvyKAIZX
They also inked a one-year deal with RW Brad McClure, most recently captain of the Minnesota State-Mankato Mavericks.
The #txstars have signed rookie forward Brad McClure to an AHL contract for the 2018-19 season.
— Texas Stars (@TexasStars) July 19, 2018
Read: https://t.co/K42qQnu4JN pic.twitter.com/1kcKQHVcxc
Finally
It’s always a better day when there’s a vacation tweet from the anonymous, vaguely hockey-adjacent genius known as Strombone (shhh it’s Roberto Luongo don’t tell anybody). Enjoy.
Me to my wife: Babe when I come to Montreal I get recognized a lot
— Strombone (@strombone1) July 19, 2018
Family walking towards me with big smile: Excuse me can you take a picture?
Me puffing out my chest a little: See babe I told you pic.twitter.com/6nUfIoLrq4